Time-controlled mechanism.



WILLIAM H. GREENLEAF, OF HARTFORD, CDNNECTICUT.

TIME-CGNTROLLED MECHANISM.

Application filed October 16, 1916.

To all 107mm t may concern."

Be it known that I. VILLIAM H. GREEN- LEAF, a citizen of the United States7 residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful improvements in rlliure-Controlled Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to what shall for convenience term time-controlled mechanism. Among the objects of the invention is the provision of means of the character set forth which is exceedingly compact7 which consists of a small number of parts, yet which is accurate and which is susceptible of inexpensive manufacture. As part of the mechanism is a magnet of novel and highly advantageous type. lt is a matter of fact that this magnet is suitable for general use, and it will be claimed per se irrespective of its employment in time-controlled mechanism.

ln the drawings accompanying and forming part of the presentl specification l have shown in detail one convenient form of embodiment of the invention which will be set forth fully in the following description. I do not restrict myself to this particular disclosure; l may depart therefrom in several respects within the scope of the invention defined the claims following said description.

Referring to said drawings:

.Figure l is a rear elevation and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a time piece involving thc invention.

F ig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of F ig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. Ll is a sectional side elevation of a circuit controlling member', its support and certain adjunctive elements.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. el, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figs. 6 and 7 are like views, the sections being on the lines 5-6 and 7 7 respectively of Fig. l, also looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the severa-l views which are on different scales.

I have already indicated that the title selected for the invention is a convenient one. YWhen the mechanism is used in the art of time-controlled devices7 it may as shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

Serial No. 125,935.

take the form of a self-winding time-piece such for illustration as a clock. is part of this organization is an escapement and train or clock work which may be of the kind ordinarily found in clocks and watch-es. Au element of the clock work is a main arbor such as :2 supported by and between the front and the back movement plates 3 and Ll connected by pillars 5 as customary. The main arbor 2 is intermittently operated at predetermined intervals, for instance one minute intervals, y suitable means such as a pawl and ratchet device, a ratchet wheel as G and coperating pawl as 'T answering satisfactorily in this respect. As illustrated the ratchet wheel contains sixty teeth; it is fastened in some suitable way to the main arbor 2. T he pawl is given a feed er forward and a backward movement in some suita le manner, being` operated in one direction by a motor such as the spring S and in the opposite direction by a magnet as 9. es l have already noted this magnet is of novel character, and although it is of especial utility when incorporated in a time-piece of which the present construction is illustrative, it is capable of use in other fields. rllhis magnet contains but a single coil and also but a sincere, being of such nature as will hereinafter be pointed out, to exert pulls transverse Idirections to each other. l will hereinafter describe a means by which this particular result can be obtained. lrefcrablv though not essentially, these pulls are approximately at iightangles to each other. rllhe core l2 of the magnet has at one end the part 13 connected thereuf'ith7 this part 13 constituting an auxiliary core member. The body of the core l2 extends through said member 18 and headed over tne same to secure it in position. Said core l2 and tie lateral or transverse extension 18 thereof when current passes through the coil of the magnet are energized so as to apply pulls in transverse directions to the armature of which one suitable forni will be hereinafter described. rlhe magnet 9 can be held in fixed position in any desirable manner. For instance, ine collars l2 of suitable non-magnetic material such as brass may surround the core l2 near the terminals thereof and the Shanks of the collars l2 may be passed through openings in the mounting plate and headed over on the inner surface of said mounting plate. As shown this mounting plate is of disk forni,

its diameter being practically the same as that of the front and back movement plates 3 and 4. To hold the mounting plate 10 in position screws 11 may be provided, the said mounting plate being perforated for the passage of screws 11 which are threaded into the pillars 5. rllhis mounting plate with the magnet and certain parts mounted upon it, of which the magnet 9 is one, presents a unit which can be mounted and dismounted as such. is will be inferred the mounting plate fits fiatwise against the back movement plate of the other unit including the time train. T he time train unit also constitutes a suitable carrier for the armature of the magnet.

Said armature may be of any desirable form, that denoted by 1a being quite satisfactory. Said armature 1a consists of an angular lever, its branches being practically at right angles to each other. What is shown as the shorter branchv or that which directly cooperates with the magnet core 12 is pivoted at its outer end at 15 between the front and back movement plates 8 and l as shown in Fig. 3. rlhe terminal or free portion of the longer branch of said armature lever cooperates with the core extension 13.

ln F ig. 1 the magnet 9 is assumed to be denergized, the armature lever 11k being held in its retracted position as shown in said View by the spring 8 as will hereinafter more particularly appear. 0n the energization of the magnet the armature will be attracted and will thus move from the dotted line or retracted position 14 in Fig. 3 to the dotted line 14's in said view and render edective or stretch the spring 8. `When the magnet is denergized this spring 8 is adapted to draw back the armature.

The shorter arm of the armature lever is shown equipped with an extension 16 represented as being in approximate parallelism with the longer arm of the armature. To this extension 16 is connected one end of the spring 8, the other end of the spring` being connected with the luv 17 on the baclr movement plate t. W hen the magnet attracts its armature in the manner already set forth, the extension 16 will be swung from the dotted line position in Fig. 3 to the full line position thereof, thereby stretching the spring 8, so that when the magnet is denergized. the spring 8 by reacting` or contracting can swing the extension 16 from the full line to the dotted line position and at the same timel retract' the armature la or move it from the dotted line position le to the dotted line position 1e in said Fig, 3.

The pawl 7 is of spring form and as shown is integral with the shank 18 pivoted to the extension 16 near the free end thereof, 'the spring 8 in addition to exercising the function already stated, bearing against the projection 19 of the shank 18 to yieldingly hold the pawl 7 in engagement with the peripheral teeth of the ratchet wheel 6. The spring 8, thereby serves two offices, acting as a motor to effect rotation of the main arbor and also to yieldingly hold the pawl 7 in working relation with the coperating ratchet wheel G. `When the magnet 9 is energized, a suitable battery (not shown) being provided in practice for this purpose, the armature 14 is attracted to stretch the spring 8. On the dee'nergization of the magnet the spring assumes its `original position. As the armature is attracted7 the pawl 7 is drawn back one tooth and as the spring reacts, it provides power to advance the pawl and therefore the turning of the ratchet wheel a distance of one tooth.

To control the circuit a circuit controlling member such as that denoted by 20 may be provided. rf'he said circuit controlling member is reciprocative having preferably a bodily slidable movement in approximately a straight line as will hereinafter appear. The circuit connections involving the magnet and circuit controlling member 20 may be of any suitable kind. Superimposed on the plate 10 are disks 21 of suitable insulating material riveted to each other and to the plate 10 by rivets as 22 which may be held in place by being headed over. Extending through a perforation in the outer insulating washer 21 is a terminal member 23 to which one lead from the battery may eX- tend. rlhis terminal 23 can be staked over between the two contact strips 21 which provides a convenient way of holding it in place. From the terminal member Q3 to one terminal of thD coil of the magnet 9 the wire 2a leads,l the other terminal of the magnet having a connection with the wire 25 which can be slipped in the hook 26 in the form of a. lateral extension from the butt portion of the contact member Q7, said butt portion being clamped by the screw :28 between the plates 29 insulated from each other by the washers 30. rlhe two plates 2O and the interposed washers can be riveted to each other and to the lateral flange 31 of the plate 32 by a rivet as 33, the screw 28 being tapped into said flange 31. This contact member :27, as will he understood, is in 'electrical connection with the outgoing terminal of thel coil of the magnet and it is insulated from the plate 32 which has a ground connection through the metal parts of the structure. The plate or bracket 32 is provided on the inner side with lugs 34C extending through openings in the plate 10 and headed over on the inner side of the latter which provides a satisfactory means of fastening said plate 32 in position.

On one sico of said plate 32 are guide members as 35, slotted on their inner sides to receive the slidable circuit controlling or switching member 20, these guide members having projections 36 extending through the supporting plate or bracket 32and headed over. This circuit controlling or switching member 20 has a lost motion connection with the armature 14 which may be obtained as follows: The part 2O near one end has a slot or no-tch 37 to freely receive theprojection 3S on the armature 13, said projection as illustrated being situated at about the junction of the branches thereof. The element 20 between the ends thereof is furnished with the laterally extending part 39 constituting a contact and coperative with the contact 40 on the contact member or spring arm 27. The adjacent and contacting faces of the two contacts 39 and 40 are practically fiat which is one way of advantageously obtaining a sliding engagement between the two when the part 2() is moved to circuit closing position as shown for instance by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Owing to this sliding engagement between the two parts I prevent corrosion and also make the surfaces self-cleaning. This condition is enhanced by the fact that the engagement of the dat faces of the two contacts is oblique to the line of movement of the switching or circuit controlling member 2O and also by the further fact that the contact 40 is carried by a yieldable part of which the spring arm 27 is an example. The part 20, as will be understood, has a circuit opening position as shown by full lines by Fig. 4 and a circuit closing position as illustrated by dotted lines in said view. To hold the said part 20 in its respective shifted positions a detent or latch of suitable type is provided, that denoted by 41 meeting my conditions, the part 2O having in the edge the notch 42 to receive the angular portion of the detent 41 when the. said part 20 is in its circuit closing position. To the tail 45 of the detent may be connected the coiled spring 46, one end of which is engaged over the hook 47 of the bracket or plate 32, the spring acting to constantly urge the operative portion of the detent 44 inward, so that when the circuit controlling or switching member is in its extreme positions, the angu- .lar portion of the detent 44 can be snapped into the notch or cut- 42. It will be seen that the walls of the notch 42 are beveled. An important advantage follows the beveling of the inner wall of said notch as when the point or tooth of the detent enters said notch it rides along said inner wall and thereby gives to the part a camming action and insures a firm, solid engagement of the contact 39 with the contact 40.

As already noted the switching or contro-lling member 20, constituting a part of the circuit connections is shown in circuit opening or breaking position by full lines in Fig. 4, there being at this time a break or gap between the contacts 39 and 40. It

will be assumed at this time that the battery or other source of electrical energy is connected with the magnet 9 and that the circuit is broken. It will be further assumed that the circuit has just been broken. As a consequence of this the spring 3 can contract to move the armature 14 to the dotted position 14 in Fig. 1 and through the connected pawl 'T to effect the movement of the ratchet wheel 6 one step. At the commencement of this particular operation the projection 3S is adjacent the rear wall of the slot 37. Just before the spring moves the armature 14 to its extreme outer position, the projection 38 will strike the forward wall of the slot or notch 37 and thereby slide the switchingor controlling member 20 to the dotted line position in the direction of the arrow applied thereto in Fig. 4 to cause the fiat face of the contact 39 to traverse the corresponding surface of the contact 4() and thus close the circuit of the magnet 9. The

instant that the circuit is closed, the magnet attracts its armature and moves it from the position 14 to the position 14 in said Fig. 3, the pawl 7 being drawn back one tooth at the conclusion of this particular movement of the armature. During this latter action the spring 8 is stretched -or tensioned and thus rendered effective to advance the ratchet wheel 6 through the intermediate parts at the proper time. Just before the armature concludes its inward movement the projection 38 strikes the rear wall of the notch 37 and moves the part 20 in the direction opposite the arrow applied thereto so as to break the circuit, and when the circuit is thus broken the operation hereinbefore described will be repeated.

I desire to call attention to one important fact in connection with the part 41v which not only acts as a detent or latch but serves the additional function of an actuator for the switching or circuit controlling member 20. The arrow applied to said part 2O in Fig. 4 indicates the direction the same takes onits circuit closing movement. Just before this circuit closing motion is completed, the toothed or pointed end of the detent or spring operated actuator 41 enters the notch 42 and by traversing the beveled inner wall thereof imparts to the switch controlling member 20 a iinal snap movement, this movement which is under the action of the spring 46 being as will be clear an accelerated or rapid one, or as I have termed it, a sna movement.

T e circuit controlling member 20 between the notch 43 and the notch 42 is upon an angle as at 43', the point 44 of the detent 41 traversing this angular surface 43 as the detent 41 leaves the locking notch 43. The only object of the notch 43 is to provide a relief for the face 43. Current may be supplied to effect the necessary action in any desirable manner as by the battery 50 from one pole of which the wire 51 leads and is connected with the terminal 23. F rom the other pole of the battery leads the wire 52 which is connected with the back movement plate 4 as best shown by Fig. l.

What I claim is:

l. The combination of the main arbor of a timepiece, electric circuit connections including a magnet, an armature for said magnet, a spring connected with the arma.- ture, the arma-ture when attracted by the magnet being adapted to tension the spring, means actuated by the spring when the magnet is denergized for advancing said arbor and at the saine time retracting said armature, and a switching' member bodily slidable between circuit opening and circuit closing positionsautomatically on opposite movements of the armature.

2. The combination of the main arbor of a time-piece, electric circuit connections including a magnet, an armature for said magnet, a spring connected with the arma.- ture, the armature when attracted by the magnet being adapted to tension the spring, means actuated by the spring when the magnet is denergized for advancing said arbor .and at the same time retracting said armature, a switching member slidable between circuit opening and circuit closing positions automatically on opposite movements of the armature, and a detent, the slidable switching member having a notch to receive the detent, the inner wall of the notch being on a bevel and the detent being adapted to traverse said bevel wall to impart a circuit closing' movement to the switching member.

3. The combination of the main arbor of a time-piece, electric circuit connections including a magnet, an armature for said magnet, a spring connected with the armature, the armature when attracted by the magnet being adapted to tension the spring, means actuated by the spring when the magnet is denergized for advancing said arbor and at the same time retracting said armature, and al switching member having a lost motion connection with the armature to cause the switching member t0 be moved toward the circuit opening and circuit closing positions by said armature after said armature has commenced but before it has completed its advancing and retracting movements respectively, said switching member being bodily slidable between its extreme positions.

et. rlhe combination of the main arbor of a time-piece, electric circuit connections including a magnet, an armature for said magnet, a lspring connected with the armature, the armature when attracted by the magnet being adapted to tension the spring, means actuated by the spring when the magnet is denergized for advancing said arbor and at the same time retracting said armature, a slidable switching member having a lost motion connection with the armature to lcause the switching member to be moved toward circuit opening and circuit closing positions by said armature after said armature has commenced but before it has completed its advancing and retracting movements respectively, and a spring actuated detent, the slidable switchino' member being notched to receive the detent and the inner wall of the notch being beveled and to be traversed by the detent to impart a circuit closing movement to the switching member.

5. rlhe combination of the main arbor of a timepiece, a ratchet wheel rotative with said arbor, and electric circuit connections including a magnet and itsV armature, a spring connected with the armature, the armature when attracted by the spring being adapted to tension the spring, a pawl connected with the armature and adapted to be operated by the spring to advance the ratchet wheel and thereby the arbor, said spring acting also to hold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet, and a switching element bodily slidable to circuit opening and circuit closing positions by said armature, on opposite movements thereof.

ln testimony whereof I atix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VILLAM H. GREENLEAF.y

Witnesses L. L. MARKEL, HEATH SUTHERLAND.

Genies oi this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o5. Eetente,

Washington, E). G. 

